Improvement in beer faucets



T. MAR-SH.

BEERv PAUGBT. Patented Mar. 12,1867.

@Mun tat@ twt @frn THOMAS MARSH, OF SMITHFIELD, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNORTO HIMSELF,

l JOHN BALOHOM, AND S. PERRY, OF SAME PLAGE.

Letters Patent No. 62,86tu7ate0l March 12, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEER FAUCETS.

TO ALL WI-IOM IT MAY CONOERN:

f Bc it known that I, TnoMAs MARSH, of Central Falls, (Smithield,) inthc county .of Providence, State of Rhode Island, and United States ofAmerica, have invented a new and improved Apparatus for Tapping BeerOasks and other like vessels containing liquids under pressure; and I dohereby declare that the following specification, taken in connectionwith the drawings, making a part of the same, is a full, clear, andexact description thereof.

Figure 1 is a side view.

Figure 2 is an end view.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section,

l Figure 4 is zii-longitudinal section of a modification of theinvention.

The invention herein described can be advantageously used for tapping acask which .contains beer or other fluid confined under pressure. 'Thecommon method of tapping a beer cask, employed, is, first, to forceinward, to the distance perhaps of half the thickness oi' the head ofthecask, the plug which is always inserted in a hole made in one of theheads" for this purpose, and then placing the faucet or spigot upon itsend against the plug so partially driven in, with a well-directed blowreplug the hole with the end of the faucet. and at the same operationexpel -into the interior of the Cask the former plug which filled thehole. It often happens that the pressure exerted by the beer is so greatas to be able to resist the introduction of the faucet, especially ifthe latter is not exactly fitted to the hole, in which case the contentsof the Cask will escape. The invention 'described is intended to afforda convenient and certain means for tapping a cask in place of the meansabove described.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a head of a beer Cask, and Bthe plug which fills thc tap-hole.

Around this plug there is to bc placed a ring or collar, O, made bypreference of cast iron or of some metal, which ring may be countersunkin the head, or not, as is most convenient, and which is secured to thehond by screws a a, or other convenient means. The interior is furnishedwith a screwthrcad,b, and its diameter should bev suilicient to receivethe end of the faucet. D is the faucet, having a longitudinal passage,c, through its axis, and provided with a stop-cock, D. It differs,however, from the ordinary faucet in this, thatlit made in two parts, (land 2,) which are connected by means of the screw spindle E, and thejoint between the two is furnished with a compressible and elasticpacking, E. The portion 1 is made by preference with a chamber, cl, nearits buse, and has a tent, e, provided with a thread which fits thcthread ofthe collar C. The screw spindle E, which is attached to theportion 2 of the faucet, is furnished with one or more radialapcrtures,f, which extend from its surface into the delivery passage c,and will, when in connection with the chamber d, furnish an outletfoi-.the contents of the cask into such passage. The base of thischamber may he' covered by a filter, as shown at fig. 2. When a cask isto be tapped the portion 1 of the faucet is secured fast to the collarC, and the portion 2 is in the position showniug. 1. By turning thisportion 2 the screw spindle E will bc made to press against the end ofAthe tap-plug, and will exert sufficient force to expel it into'thcinterior of thccask by the time that the two parts of the faucet are inthe relation shown at iig. 3, when the rubber packing will have beensufficiently compressed to pack the joint between the two portions, andthe aperture f will have entered the chamber d, aud connected theinterior of the cask with the delivery passage c. The contents of thecask can now by means of the stop-cock be drawn off at pleasure. v

I am aware of the existence of William Pinkermans faucet, patentedAugust 18, 1863; but think there is a patentablc difference between thatdevice and my own. Finkermans invention is a combined stopplc andfaucet. A stopple forms nov part-of my invention. I-Iis stopplearrangement must be attached to cvcry barrel thc brewer fills, whereasby the use of my faucet a common wooden stopple is all that is necessaryto bc inserted in each barrel the brewer fills, and my tapping mechanismneed only be attached to such barrels as are on draught at therctailcrs. A great saving must therefore result from thc use of myinvention instead of Pin- -lcermans. A modification of my invention isshown at tig. 51,' in which the end of the same spindle Eis providedwith a cutting bit, F, which enables the apparatus to bore out its owntap-hole in a way readily understood from the drawing. In all otherrespects the arrangement and operation and constrnction are thc saine,except that the screw spindle may be shorter than in the other-case bythe length of the bit.'

l/Vhat I claim as my invention, :md desire to secure by Letters Patent,is

1. The faucet composed of the two parts 1 and 2, the part l to beattached to the barrel at any time after the filling and before thetapping of the seme, and to act in combination-with the p`e1't 2 inforcing out the common wooden plug, the use of which is renderedunobjectionable by my invention, and which it is no part of my design tosupersede. c

2. The combination of such faucet with a collar, C, affixed to the'oask,such parts in combination consti toting an apparatus for tapping a Cask,substmtially as described. i

3. Combining with the apparatus described in the first 'clause7 acutting bit, F, sbstantially as described for the purposes specified.

THOMAS MARSH.

Witnesses:

W, B. VINCENT, W. W, RIGKARD.

